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Jobs under threat at Willenhall firm

Jobs are under threat at a specialist plant and construction equipment hire company in Willenhall which has launched a nationwide consultation with staff over planned changes.

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Around 90 staff across the UK stand to be affected at branches of Hewden and it is thought up to 10 positions could be affected at its Willenhall depot.

The firm is looking to redeploy some workers but has not ruled out redundancies.

A worker, who did not want to be named, said around 10 jobs were expected to go from the Willenhall site in Ashmore Lake Way.

He said: "The workers were told on Friday via a conference call that 100 jobs are going across the sites."

Spokesman for the firm, Jeff Schofield, said the company was looking to exit a particular market and a consultation is now taking place with staff, which is expected to last until June.

He said less than 90 staff would be affected across the UK but stressed that the company was looking to reposition at least 30 staff in the UK, including drivers and crane operators.

Mr Schofield added: "Less than 90 people will be affected.

"We hire out equipment. They operate it.

"The commerciality around this proposition is very challenging."

He said redundancies would be the last option.

Mr Schofield said the company had taken on dozens of staff in the past who had no skills and had spent more than £100,000 to train them up to operate equipment.

The firm, which has been in business since the 1960s, has more than 800 staff nationwide and has a turnover of around £100m a year.

In 1961, Matthew Goodwin established Hewden (Plant Hire) and Ronnie Stuart established RG Stuart Plant.

Discussions commenced between the two companies in 1967 and in May 1968 Hewden Stuart was born after a merger was agreed.

The company continued to grow through numerous acquisitions and mergers which saw the expansion from its Scottish roots into England and Wales.

By 1970 the group employed 810 people and had a turnover of £3,611,000.

By Hewden Stuart's 10th anniversary year in 1978 they were reporting an £84m turnover with a £6.5m profit.

In 1980, turnover exceeded £100m, making Hewden Stuart the first company of its kind to break this barrier.

In 1988 the group encompassed seven separate divisions with 210 depots, over 70,000 items of plant and over 3,000 employees.

The group also invested £42m in expanding and modernising its fleets.

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